Knitting machine



Oct. 22, 1935. H. H. HOLMES ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ma; W'-

lz'we nf-ors 446M427 M 1 WM Mm,

Get- 22, 1935- H. H. HOLMES Er AL. 2,017,959

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ch 22 1935. H H, HQLMES E AL 2,917,96

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1954 5 sheets-sheet s Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE company Application May 25, 1934, Serial No. 727,540 In Great Britain May 27, 1933 7 Claims.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to knitting machines and is an improvement in or a modification of the yarnfeeder mechanism described and claimed in prior application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 562,898.

The present improvement or modification comprises in combination a yarn-feeder, an associated yarn-gripper and means to release the gripper only when the free end of the yarn presented by the yam-feeder to the needles has been taken by one or more needles. Hitherto, it has been customary to release the gripper as the feeder is moved towards the feeding position from a non-feeding position; but it is now found that by releasing the yarn prior to the taking of the free end thereof by one or more needles the yarn is apt to float out too freely so that it cannot be fed with certainty, course by course, to a particular needle as, for example, when splicing. In utilizing the combined feeder and gripper for such a purpose it is necessary that the yarn shall always be taken by a particular needle and withdrawn at any other predetermined needle.

By the present invention it is found that the yarn can, with more or less certainty, always be fed to and taken by the same needle so that commencement of knitting of ,the splicing thread course by course occurs always in the same wale.

By the mechanism described in the prior specification the yarn can always be withdrawn also at a predetermined wale and consequently by the utilization of a similar withdrawing mechanism in the present invention the edges of the splice both at the beginning and at the end will show as cleanly defined lines in the fabric.

In a preferred form of the invention the gripper is movable relatively to the feeder in the general plane of movement of the latter and is combined with actuating means to control its movement relatively to the feeder at required times for the purpose of causing the yarn to be gripped or released as desired. Preferably, the

yarn-gripper is combined with two rotatable 45 spindles which are mechanically coupled to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions, means operatively connecting one of the spindles with the gripper whereby the latter will be moved relatively to the feeder, and actuating means 50 to rotate the spindles in either direction at will.

In a specific form of the invention there is interposed between the gripper and the feeder a yielding yarn clamp which is yieldingly urged at all times towards the body of the feeder so 55 that the yarn in passing between the latter and the clamp is subjected continuously to a predetermined restraint to its free travel.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood two preferred examples will now be described in detail with the aid of the 6 accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of one form of feeder mechanism,

Figure 2 is an elevation thereof,

Figure 3 shows the mechanism as viewed from 10 the right of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the gripper moved to the opposite extreme position relatively to the feeder from that shown in Figure 1, 15

Figure 5 is a plan similar to Figure 1 of a modified form of the invention,

Figure 6 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 5,

Figure 7 illustrates the mechanism of Figure 20 5 viewed from the right of that figure.

Figure 8 illustrates the action of the mechanism illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 at the commencement of a yarn-feeding operation.

Figure 9 diagrammatically illustrates the po- 5 sition of the needle taking the yarn in Figure 8 relatively to the stitch-cam.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 at the moment of release of the gripper, and

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9 show- 30 ing the position of the first needle to take the yarn in relation to the stitch-cam.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Turning first of all to Figures 1 to 4, l0 indicates the needle-cylinder, and II indicates the ring upon which the feeder mechanism is mounted. Secured to the ring is a bracket l2 having at each end slots 13 in which are received clamping nuts and bolts [4 whereby the bracket I2 is secured to the ring II, the slots I3 permitting slight adjustment of the bracket circumferentially of the cylinder 10.

A feeder I5 pivotally mounted in the bracket [2 on a pin I6 is similar in its general design to the feeder described in prior United States specification Serial No. 562,898 and on a depending stub I! there is mounted a locking plate l8 controlled by a spring l9 which serves to hold the feeder when it is desired in its inoperative position as described in the aforesaid prior specification. Reference may be made to the latter for a fuller understanding of the mounting and arrangement'of the feeder l5 and the locking plate [8, and as these parts of themselves and their arrangement and mounting do not constitute the present invention but are only elements therein it is thought unnecessary to describe them in further detail.

led between it and the'body of the forwardlyprojecting nose of the feeder in its passage between the end feed-eye 2| and a more rearward V guide-eye 22 through which the yarn passes from the under to the upper side of the nose of the feeder. In the drawings the yarn is indicated at23. The clamping plate is secured in position by means of screws 24.

A movable abutment 25, hereinafter vtermed a gripper is mounted so as to be movable under control towards and away from the yarn-feeder in the general plane of movement of the latter so that when it isadjusted into' the full-line position shown in Figure 2 it will press on to the clamp to force the latter into close engagementwith the yarn 23 and to prevent feeding of the latter so that continued relative rotation between the feeder and the needle-cylinder will impose a breaking stress on the yarn when de-V sired. This abutment 25 takes the place of the abutment 23 of the construction according to the earlier specification but unlike the abutment 23 the gripper 25 is positively moved to and 'fro relatively to the feeder. When moved into the chain-line position shown in Figure 2, clamp 20 is released and only presses on to the yarn by its own resilience. a V

In an upward extension 26 of the bracket I2,

there is formed a guide-way in which a slide 2! is received, the guide-way being indicated by dotted, lines at 28. The'horizontal portion of the gripper 25 is secured to the bracket extension 26 by screws 29 passing through slots in slide 21, a distance-piece 30 being formed on the outermost screw 29 to spacetapart the gripper and the slide 21. 'The slide projects'at 3| to engage beneath the upper endof the inclined portion of the gripper 25 and the latter is held in position by screws 29 so that when the slide is moved towards the axis of the needle-cylinder the inclined part will be moved away from the feeder; but when the latter is withdrawn away from the needle cylinder the nose of the gripper will be left free 7 to deflect slightly as it is pressed on to the clamp 20 owing to its own natural resilience.

In order to actuate the slide there are two spindles 32 and 33 mounted in the upwardlyextending portion 26 of the bracket 12. These spindles are parallel with one another and with the axis of the needle-cylinder and are inter connected by spur-gearing 34 at their upper ends.

Secured to each spindle is an actuating arm, these two arms being indicated at 35 and 36, whereof the arm 35 is secured to the spindle 32 and the arm 36 is secured to the spindle 33. The latter are cranked downwardly so that their lower ends extend to a position at which they can be engagedby adjustable external abutments 31 and 38 (Figures land 4) t "Similar abutments may belprovided respectively to engage the tail 39 of the feeder l5 and also the tail of the locking plate 3, and in order to simplify the illustration as much as possible theabutments 31 and shown on the drawings may be taken as representative of anysuch. abutment as may be necessary to actuate the feeder, the locking plate andthe arms 35 and 36.

Mounted on the spindle 32 is also an arm 4| having formed in it a cam slot 42 in which is received a pin 43 secured to the slide 21. As 5 the spindle 32 is rotated from the position shown in Figure l to that of Figure 4 it will be seen that the arm 4| will be swung and the cam slot 42 will force the pin 43 and the slide 21 towards the axis of the needle-cylinder. 0

The operation of the mechanism so far del scribed is'as follows:When the feeder I5 'is in the non-feeding. or inoperative condition it will assume the position illustrated in chain lines in Figure 2. It will be observed that a shoulder 44 15 on the feeder I5 has engaged beneath the locking plate l8rwhich has been turned by its spring 19 into this position of engagement and the feeder is held thereby out of action. At this time the slide 2'! and the gripper 25 are in the full-line 30 spring 45 which is a compression spring tending go.

at all times to force the feeder into the feeding position. During this movement the clamp 20 is held in rubbing contact with the nose of the gripper 25 andthe resilience of the latter will permit sufficient movement thereof to allow the feeder u. to swing into feeding position. During this movement of the feederthe gripper 25 still maintains a relatively strong pressure on the clamp 20 to hold the thread gripped between the clamp and the adjacent surface of the feeder, and the trail- 49 ing end of the yarn 23 is thus introduced into the hook of a needle which has descended so far down its stitch-cam as to be near the knocking over point. This condition is illustrated in Figl ures 8 and 9. I 45 As soon as one or more needles have actually taken into their hooks theftrailing yarn end, say, for example, four needles as shown in Figure 10, another adjustable abutment such as 31 will i be brought into engagement with the end of 50 arm 36 and as there will be relative rotation between the abutment and the arm about the axis of the needle-cylinder the arm will be rotated and in so doing will turn the spindle '32 through a V the medium of the gears 34 to advance the slide 21 from the position illustrated in Figure 1 to that illustrated in Figure 4. In the latter figure the abutment 31 is shown as just'having engaged and clearedthe arm 36 and by this movementof the arm the slide will have been moved 00 towards the axis of the cylinder'so as to bring the gripper 25 into the chain-line position with its nose free from engagement with the clamp 20. The yarn can now run freely through the feeder and will be taken by the needles in the usual 5 manner. n V When the yarn is to be withdrawn another abutment such as 38 will be moved into a position to engage above the tail end 39 of the feeder 15 to swing it in a clockwise direction in Figure 7 2 awayfrom the axis of the needle-cylinder.

abutment 31 is brought'into the path of the arm 35 to engage it, thereby swinging the arms 35 and. 36 back to the position illustrated in Figure 1. This returns the slide 21 and the gripper 25 away from the axis of the needle-cylinder and brings the overhanging nose of the gripper into contact with the clamp 20 to arrest the free run of the yarn through the feeder. In consequence a breaking stress will be imposed upon the yarn and it will snap close to the surface of the knitted fabric in the manner already described in the prior specification previously referred to.

The movement of abutments such as 31 and 38 into their operative positions in timed relation to the relative travel past them of the parts with which they are designed to engage is a matter well understood by those skilled in the art and can be effected by pattern controlling mechanism such as is usually provided in knitting machines of this character.

In the modified construction in Figures 5 to '7 the form and arrangement of the feeder I5, slide 21 and gripper 25 is similar to that already described with the exception that on the outer end of the slide 21 there are now two depending cams 46 and 41 having a shape clearly indicated in Figure 5.

Instead of the spindles 32, 33, arm 5|, cam slot 42 and pin 43 for operating the slide the following mechanism is now employed. Mounted in the ring I I behind the slide is a three armed lever pivotally mounted upon a pin 48. The three arms are indicated by the reference numerals 49, and 5I of which the arm 50 enters the slot between the cams 46 and 41 and is shaped to cooperate with the cam faces again as clearly shown in Figure 5. The arm 49 has a cam face I5I at its end to be engaged by a pattern controlled abutment such as I52 that can be moved into and out from the path of the cam when the feeder is to be put into operation. In using the mechanism just described the feeder i5 is swung from its non-feeding to feeding position in the manner described in connection with Figures 1 to 4 and after the required number of needles have taken the yarn from the feeder the gripper 25 is releasedloy swinging the arm 50 from the position shown in Figure 7 in a clockwise direction as viewed in that figure or upwardly as viewed in Figure 5. The effect of this is to force the slide 2'! forwardly towards the axis of the machine and thus to move the gripper 25 to the chain-line position to free it from engagement with the clamp 20. Movement of the arm 53 is brought about by engagement of the cam face I 5| by the abutment I52.

When it is again desired to bring the gripper back into engagement with the yarn clamp 20 another adjustable abutment, or the same abutment I52 adjusted to the requisite position, is brought into engagement beneath a pin 52 at the end of the arm 5I. The abutment I52 is formed with a cam surface which as it passes the pin will raise the latter and return the arm 50 to the position illustrated in Figure 7.

It will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to a circular knitting machine in which either the cylinder or the cam-box is rotatable. When the cylinder is rotatable the pattern controlled abutments such as 3'I, 3B and 52 will rotate with the cylinder and the yarn-feeder will remain stationary. When the cylinder is stationary the abutments will also be stationary except for their movements of adjustment and the feeder will be rotated around the cylinder.

By suitable modification well understood by those who are versed in the art of knitting machinery the invention is equally applicable to flat bed knitting machines, in which case generally the feeder will be reciprocated lengthwise of the needle bed and the adjustable abutments such as 31, 38 and I52 will be stationary relatively to the needle bed except for their movements of adjustment. I

Although in the specific example described the gripper is shown as being held closed until four needles have received the yarn end, it is to be understood that this is an arbitrary number and may be either less or more as may be found most desirable in practice.

Moreover, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of construction described herein in connection with either of the two specific forms of the mechanism which are given by way of example only.

We claim:

1. Yarn feeding mechanism comprising in combination a yarn feeder movable into and out from a yarn feeding position, a yarn gripper associated therewith to grip the yarn at such a position as to leave a free trailing end thereof extending from the feeder prior to the actuation of the feeder into a yarn feeding position, and means to release the gripper only when the free end of yarn presented by the yarn feeder'to the needles has been taken by at least one needle.

2. Yarn feeding mechanism comprising in combination a yarn feeder movable into and out from a yarn feeding position, a yarn gripper associated and movable in company therewith to grip the yarn at such a position as to leave a free trailing yarn end extending from the feeder prior to actuation of the feeder into the yarn feeding position, and means to release the gripper only when the free end of yarn presented by the yarn feeder to the needles has been taken by at least one needle.

3. Yarn feeding mechanism according to claim 1 in which the gripper-actuating mechanism comprises a slide by which the gripper is moved, a cam associated with the slide and a rocking arm to engage and operate the cam and one or more adjustable abutments to rock the arm.

50 4. Yarn feeding mechanism according to claim 1 in which there is interposed between the gripper and the feeder a yielding yarn clamp which is yieldingly urged at all times towards the body of v the feeder to grip the yarn between the latter and the clamp in its passage to the needles and to subject the yarn continuously to a predetermined restraint to its free travel.

5. Yarn feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pivoted yarn feeder movable into and out from a yarn feeding position, a sliding yarn gripper having a portion overhanging a surface of the feeder over which the running yarn will pass in its passage to the fee-d point of the feeder, means to swing the feeder about its pivot into and out from the yarn feeding position, means to slide the gripper so as to move it towards and away from the feeder, the gripper being so positioned as to clamp the yarn so as to leave a free trailing yarn and extending from the feeder at all times.

6. Yarn feeding mechanism comprising in combination a pivoted yarn feeder having a feed point at one extremity and a tail at the other extremity, a sliding yarn gripper having a portion overthe yarn so as'to leave a free trailing yarn end extending from the feeder at all times.

7. Yarn feeding mechanism according to claim 6 having a yielding yarn clamp interposed between the gripper and the yarn.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES. ROBERT HAROLD ROBINSON. 

